Jason & Courtney Neland
Executive Director | Co-Founders of Carry The Cross Ministries
Jason Neland is the co-founder of Carry The Cross Ministries and Director of The Firehouse in Kansas City, Kansas. A graduate of Avila University with a degree in Natural Science/Biology and certification as a Secondary Teacher, Jason has spent over 25 years serving as a pastor, counselor, teacher, and coach. His heart for mentoring youth, supporting families in crisis, uniting communities and creating spaces of refuge continues to guide the mission of CTC, The Firehouse and On Eagle’s Wings Farm.
Courtney Neland, co-founder of Carry The Cross Ministries, has dedicated her life to serving her family, church, and community. For more than two decades she has led and supported children’s ministries, operated a daycare, and opened her home to countless young people and tirelessly served those in her community around her. As a mother of five and a steady presence at The Firehouse, Courtney embodies warmth, hospitality, and a deep commitment to nurturing children and families in faith and love.
Board of Directors
Dr. Justin Hoskins
Board Chair
Dr. Justin Hoskins | Board Chair
Dr. Justin Hoskins is a pediatrician in Chicago, Illinois. He received his medical degree from University of Kansas School of Medicine and has been in practice between 3-5 years.
He currently serves at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. He is the co-founder of Carry The Cross Ministries in Kansas City, KS.
Steve Reed
Board Member
Steve Reed | Board Member
Chief Executive Officer for Daybreak International, a missions organization dedicated to initiating and developing friendships among the marginalized and forgotten peoples of the Americas in order to encourage and promote transformational relationships with Jesus and multiplying faith communities. Currently Steve and his team is responding to the many mission opportunities before them–from ministries with cowboys in Central America, to partnering to start churches in the jungles of Guatemala. Along the way they have discovered that the simple “Play. Story. Eat.” process they use can be applied to any group of people in any culture. In 2018 they seek to create 100 circles of friends who use the PSE discipleship process. Currently these groups range from the Sandhills of Nebraska, to the suburbs of Kansas City, to the jungles of Guatemala!
Tekia Thompson
Board Member
Tekia Thompson | Board Member
Tekia Thompson currently serves as the Sales and Community Outreach Manager for Global Mamas, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering financial well-being, happiness and health for Ghanian women and their families. When not fulfilling her duties with Global Mamas, she spends her time volunteering as Assistant Floor Manager for Ten Thousand Villages Overland Park.as well as coordinating volunteers at various farms and community gardens to harvest and distribute produce to hungry families. With the support of Global Mamas, she serves as content creator for Black & Fair, an Instagram blog that explores the role of people of color within fair trade and beyond. She is an Alumni of Avila University.
Prior to her work in fair trade, she served as a missionary in Juarez, Mexico, leading teams in building houses for those in need as well as serving in rural Appalachia and Poland performing community and educational outreach. She has worked for various nonprofits throughout the Kansas City area including Sunflower House Children’s Advocacy Center and the American Cancer Society as director of communications. She was featured in the “New Faces of Philanthropy” March 2020 Issue of In Kansas City Magazine.
When she’s not wrapped up in fair trade joy or rescuing produce for hungry families, she’s creating community engagement opportunities for her local church, Foundry Church KC, in addition to serving on various community committees/advisory boards in Kansas City like Jubilee Community Garden Leadership Team and the Johnson County Food Policy Council. She was also recently appointed to the Avila University Board of Counselors. She is passionate about people, building community, and inspiring hope!
Joe Graham
Board Member
Joe Graham | Board Member
Joe Graham is a principal at John Fiske Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas. He has twenty years of experience as an urban educator and mentor, working in both elementary and secondary settings. Over the years, Joe has developed a deep appreciation for his students and the communities from which they come, for he believes his students have taught him enduring lessons about life, and in particular change and resiliency. He hopes to build relationships with others who advocate to meet the needs of all students.
Joe has been married to Becky for twenty years, and they have three children: Oscar, Nell, and Sawyer. Becky also works as a middle school teacher. Joe and Becky love to travel with the kids, so the family not only creates memories but also new learning experiences. Ultimately, Becky and Joe want these learning experiences to help the kids develop a deeper understanding of Jesus and who they are in Him.
Amanda Reese
Co-Coordinator
Amanda Reese | Co-Coordinator
Amanda Reese moved to Kansas from California at the age of 18. Amanda met her husband Jason during her senior year. They have been married for 18 years and have 3 children, ages 15, 12 and 6. Amanda has held multiple positions with different companies through the years, mostly focusing on customer service. Amanda has been involved as a volunteer with Carry The Cross Ministries and On Eagle’s Wings Farm for the past 3 years. In 2021 Amanda was hired as an Administrative Assistant for Founder Courtney Neland. Amanda still volunteers in other events with OEWF and CTC.
“I enjoy working with Jason and Courtney Neland because I am very passionate about their mission. Children are the most vulnerable in our world today and over and over those children are thrown into traumatizing experiences by those they love. It is my passion to love and support those children during a time when they have no control over what is happening to them at no fault of their own. I would like to come along the families and support them and make their connections stronger while giving the parents the resources they need to make a loving, nurturing and Christlike home. Jason and Courtney through OEWF promise to make a place of hope, refuge and restoration and that is what we should strive to provide to these children and their family.
I have also thoroughly enjoyed volunteering for the past three years for A Night to Remember galas. It has been my pleasure helping to create events and programs to spread the word and further the mission of Carry The Cross Ministries and On Eagle’s Wings Farm.”
Matt. 16:25
Phil 4:13
Justin Powell
Board Member
Justin Powell | Board Member
Justin Powell is a foster and adoptive father who recently moved back to his hometown of Newton, Kansas. He has an undergraduate degree in visual communications and a MA of interaction design. He currently works as a Senior Experience Software Designer for DST Systems in Kansas City, MO. God has blessed his work and allows him the freedom to design software remotely – his most recent work being based in London, England. Justin uses his gifts and talents in numerous ways serving nonprofits and ministries throughout the world. He has designed fundraising tools, web sites, applications, and brand identity systems.
Justin and his wife of 15 years, Jessica, work to support healthy marriages, families, and relationships within their church and community. They have also logged over 10 years of experience volunteering with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. He enjoys CrossFit, soccer, and the unconventional hobby of riding BMX bikes.
Steve Tucker
Board Member
Steve Tucker | Board Member
Steve Tucker serves as Global Director for Security, Health & Safety of Beam Suntory, the world’s third largest premium spirits company. Appointed to this role in early 2016, Steve is responsible for leading health and safety strategies at Beam Suntory’s global operations, including 19 distilleries and bottling plants, as well as the company’s supply chain, sales, offices and remote workers.
Prior to this role, Steve worked as the West Region Senior EHS Manager at the Kellogg Company for 3 ½ years. In that role, he was responsible for environment, health and safety at nine manufacturing operations in North America, from Chicago to the west coast. Steve worked for 4 years at WestRock as the Director of Quality & EHS for their pizza box division, leading QEHS for 12 manufacturing locations across North America.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Management and a Master of Science degree in Organization Development and Leadership from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He has been married for 20 years to his wife Anna-Lisa and is the proud father of 5 children. They reside in Louisville. Golfing, water sports, reading and cycling are some of his favorite pastimes. He is a huge Royals fan and can’t wait to get back to Kansas City to take in a game.
Kenneth Miller
Board Member
Kenneth Miller | Board Member
Kenneth Miller grew up in an Amish community where he acquired an 8th grade education in parochial school. His first job was on a construction crew in the summer between 6th and 7th grade. Kenneth married his beautiful bride Abigail in 2002. They currently have 4 beautiful girls, and one amazing son!
Ken’s education mostly consists of the school of hard knocks, which wasn’t a free tuition he may add. ☺ He loves to connect and empower people, but even more than that loves to see people get set free from addictions, and walking into the FREEDOM Christ called us to. As the CEO and Founder of Classic Buildings which has been in business since 2003 and has 10 locations across the Kansas, Missouri and Illinois areas, he finds folks that have come out of addiction or have had a rough road in life and gives offers them hope by providing them an opportunity to work and get back on their feet.
Ken’s hobbies are hiking and history and his passions are providing opportunities for people while teaching them about the amazing potential they have. He believes that God created us all to have worth and has so much more in store for us than we generally believe.